My 2¢

I must make the case for Moderates in Congress. Why are Centrists so important to our Congressional body? The answer is simple and critical. Moderates negotiate and can reach common ground.
For the last 30 years, as our country became more economically unequal, our politics and policies were shaped by a diminished number of moderates in both parties. The extreme right wing of the GOP gained power, The Freedom Caucus, as they have come to be known, was no spontaneous movement. It was heavily funded by powerful big business and big oil lobbies. Today, Moderates in both parties are being left out of the decision making process as the extremes take control. This turn of events is not good for the American people. However, on the bright side, as more legislation is proposed along with unattainable utopias, perhaps ” we the People” will finally raise our voices and cry out for common sense legislation based on the needs of our fellow citizens. Currently, Americans have become hostage to the bad policy decisions made by legislators who are influenced by lobbyists, big business and banks.

The financial meltdown of 2008 was the result of poor regulation and self regulation by our Banking Institutions. “We the People” suffered as Congress abrogated their responsibilities to Americans and were influenced by money from Bankers and their intermediaries, allowing them to thrive on risk and debt. The crash of 2008 cost the American taxpayer Trillions of dollars, forcing many into bankruptcy, foreclosure, job loss and debt. What happened to the Bankers? They became billionaires.

“We the People” suffered again as Big Business and Congress colluded to craft trade policies and tax cuts helping Big Business to rake in non taxable profits overseas while leaving millions out of work. Big Business today is monopolistic and has more power then a sovereign nation. The trade deals have made most of America’s businesses global players. Who is creating emerging markets in developing nations – American Business! As corporations continue to chase profits here and abroad, the misery continues as the Freedom Caucus has come to dominate the GOP. They are bought and paid for by the fossil fuel lobbies. Americans have paid a hefty price for policy decisions made by Big Energy. Major population centers, when planned next to oil refineries and toxic chemical manufacturers, suffer from air and water pollution. We have just begun to see the effects of CO2 emissions on our climate. It will be years before folks in Houston recover from Hurricane Harvey and it may be years before the state of Florida, especially the Keys, recovers from the storm damage caused by Irma. There is no doubt the temperatures of our oceans are rising.

This is not the time for legislative inaction or malevolent laws. ‘We the People” need clearheaded minds to resolve today’s crises. We need to rely on scientists, engineers and IT personnel to help craft the solutions for living in the 21st century and beyond. Our planet is a gift to us. It has not always been habitable by man and it may not be inhabited by us at some point in the future. To save our children and our grandchildren from continued debt and misery from further global warming consequences, it is incumbent upon us to think about them and their future. Who among us wants to be remembered as the cause of mankind’s demise?

This weekend marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year. For Jews, it is a time of reflection, a time of redemption and forgiveness. I invite everyone, including our legislators, to come under our large inclusive tent to reflect upon our own lives. Use this time wisely to seek common ground, to craft better policy for the good of our country and our fellow man. This is step one toward educating “We the People”. We will open our eyes and we will be watching. That’s the new role of a dedicated deliberative constituency. We will learn how to understand our options and know how to make common sense decisions.

See you on Monday at 11 am, dear followers, and we’ll chat. I’ve attached some slides and articles on our political history, the disappearance of Moderates and a recently formed group by the Aspen Institute, bringing all the major players together to seek common ground on future economic policy .